Manufacturers of gaming gear are always looking to fill gaps in the market. WhileOLED monitorshave become more mainstream, they aren’t usually associated with esports. Most of these panels boast a wide color gamut, but don’t offer extremely high refresh rates that benefit competitive gaming. Breaking new ground, Sony recently launched a 1440p OLED gaming monitor with a maximum 480Hz refresh rate. Now LG is following suit with theUltraGear GX7 27-inch OLED display. Pre-orders have just gone live for the $999.99 GX7, which includes the latest high-bandwidth DisplayPort 2.1 connectivity.
Gaming miceoften prioritize high maximum DPIs when, in reality, most competitive gamers don’t take advantage of these settings. However, the opposite is true with high refresh rate gaming monitors, on which esports pros prefer playing at 144Hz or higher. Casual gamers may be content with a 4K display at 60Hz, but FPS fanatics would rather play at a lower resolution with silky smooth gameplay. The LG GX7 still looks sharper than a1080p monitorwith its 2560 x 1440 resolution, but supports a blazing-fast 480Hz refresh rate. Other than Sony’s alternative, that’s been a rare feat for OLED monitors.
LG UltraGear GX7 27-inch 480Hz WOLED Monitor
The UltraGear GX7 27-inch monitor lets competitive gamers enjoy the deep blacks and wide-ranging colors of a WOLED panel. Its 480Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time give players an advantage when competing in intense FPS action. Connectivity is generous with the UltraGear GX7, with owners having a single DisplayPort 2.1 connection, two HDMI 2.1 ports, and USB 3.0 upstream/downstream ports available. Bevels are nearly non-existent on the 2,560 x 1,440 QHD monitor, and it has enough adjustability to function in work setups.
LG’s latest monitor prioritizes fluid motion, so it’s not surprising that it embraces AMD Free-Sync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-Sync. Screen tearing is nonexistent, and there should be no distractions when quickly panning across maps to look for potential danger. Once an enemy is detected, a minuscule .03ms GTG response time allows skilled gamers to react instantaneously.
To achieve such a high refresh rate inValorantorRocket League, gamers will need a high-end CPU like a recent-generation Intel Core i9. Of course, a GPU is also critical, and the RTX 4080 or 4090 is up to the task with some titles. The LG GX7 is also ready for theNVIDIA 50 series graphics cards, which will ship with DisplayPort 2.1. This protocol is capable of a transfer rate of 80 gigabits per second to supply sufficient bandwidth for such refresh rates. LG also has Xbox and PS5 gamers in mind with a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports.
It would be easy to pass off the UltraGear GX7 27-inch OLED as purely a gaming monitor. OLED panels also thrive with cinematic content, and the monitor’s DisplayHDR True Black 400 spec promises excellent contrast levels. Still, the GX7 may surprise buyers looking for an all-around display suitable for productivity and gaming. LG’s WOLED technology has the advantage of superior viewing angles and limited glare. Its flat stand welcomes compactgaming soundbarsand provides enough adjustability to work in most setups. To become even more practical, USB 3.0 upstream and downstream ports prevent cable management nightmares.
The slim UltraGear GX7’s design isn’t groundbreaking, but extremely thin bezels lead to a minimalist look. Gamers who enjoy monitor orTV backlightingwill appreciate the RGB lighting on the back of the monitor. Buyers searching for a larger OLED 4K monitor should consider the recently reviewed 32"LG UltraGear 32GS95UE-B. Although the display only achieves 480Hz at 1080p, a 240Hz refresh rate at 4K is plenty for most gamers.
